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- Tens of thousands of motorists could have no fuel over the weekend
News Desk
Fuel is running low across the United Kingdom according to the RMI Independent Petrol Retailers Association because "its members across the east of the country from Scotland down to Kent are seeing fuel shortages at the pumps".
The snow and exceptionally cold weather has disrupted the fuel supply chain such that up to 500 independent petrol retailers are threatened with running out of petrol and especially diesel by the weekend. Particularly badly impacted are filling stations in rural areas away from the main trunk roads.
Road tankers have been unable to leave the main terminals from the Total refinery at Lindsey and from the Jet (Conoco) refinery at Killingholme, both on south Humberside, which is cutting the supply chain off at its knees.
Similar problems have been reported this morning from the refinery terminals at Grangemouth, Falkirk and at Coryton on the north Thames. Fuel companies with facilities in the east of the country are reporting that they are at least 2 or 3 days behind normal delivery schedules already.
Brian Madderson, Chairman of RMI Petrol said:
"We are close to a critical point in what is fast becoming a fuel crisis as well as a weather crisis. Acute problems of supply, particularly of diesel, are being reported by our rural members in the north-east of England and eastern Scotland. A number of filling stations are already reported to be out of fuel.
"The crisis is now spreading south as the weekend unfolds. Every hour that passes, the fuel crisis is intensifying.
"By the end of the weekend, tens of thousands of motorists could have no fuel to go about their daily lives, whether it be getting to work, taking the kids to school, or doing the weekly shop."
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